CHARLES DICKENS. 191 



1845, after doing Italy pretty thoroughly, he was again in London, 

 with the idea for a new periodical edited by himself floating 

 through his mind. His Christmas tale for 1845 was entitled 

 the Cricket on the Hearth, and its sale at the first doubled that 

 of his two preceding tales. In the autumn of the same year 

 he appeared as an actor at St. James' Theatre in Ben Jonson's 

 play, * Every Man in his Humour.' His Captain Bobadil was 

 so good that Leslie the artist took a portrait of him in that 

 character. His biographer says that as manager, also, he was 

 the life and soul of the affair. In turn he was stage-director, 

 stage-carpenter, scene-arranger, property-man, prompter, and 

 band-master. In October 1845 ^^ was busy assisting in the 

 arrangements for a new daily paper of Liberal politics. This 

 paper eventually appeared under the title of the Daily News, 

 while he was advertised as being at the head of the literary 

 department. Dickens retired from this responsibility, however, 

 after a few months' experience of it. The prospectus was 

 written by himself, and it told how it would be kept free from 

 party bias, and be devoted to the advocacy of all rational and 

 honest means whereby wrong might be redressed, just right 

 maintained, and the welfare of society be promoted. The 

 letters which afterwards appeared under the title of * Pictures 

 from Italy,' he contributed to its columns. This latter book 

 did not meet with great success. Dickens was succeeded in 

 the editorship by his friend John Forster. 



Two years had elapsed since the issue of Alartiti Chuzzlewit, 

 when we find him busy planning a new book. Writing to the 

 Countess of Blessington, he said : • Vague thoughts of a new 

 book are rife within me just now ; and I go wandering about 

 at night into the strangest places, according to my usual pro 

 pensity at such a time, seeking rest and finding none.' In 



